ICI Sale to DuPont, NL Industries
Fails Amid Regulators' Concerns

By

Susan Warren Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Jan. 4, 1999 12:49 a.m. ET

Imperial Chemical Industries PLC's planned sale of $1 billion of chemical assets to DuPont Co. and NL Industries Inc. has run aground amid objections from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, according to people familiar with the matter.

Cancellation of the deal is expected to be announced as early as Monday.

FTC objections have delayed the deal for more than 18 months, and DuPont is said to have balked at giving up as much of...